A System On Chip (SOC) ASIC chipset for Aerospace and Energy Exploration Applications

Abstract

This paper describes the design, key features and applications of a System On Chip (SOC) ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) chipset which was developed by Embedded Systems LLC as a part of the Smart Node based distributed control system architecture under an Air Force SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) program {4}. The analog part of the SOC chipset has been implemented by Honeywell International under a subcontract using their high temperature SOI (Silicon On Insulator) Process. The complete chipset is expected to be available in early 2015. The key feature of the SOC chipset is that it is a reconfigurable and scalable building block that can be used to interface with most typical aerospace control system sensors and actuators. The SOC chipset captures all of the necessary functions required to power and interface with sensors such as RTD (Resistance Temperature Detectors), Strain Gauges (SG), Thermo Couples (TC) and transducers for measuring mass flow, speed, position or angle. The SOC chipset also contains all of the pre- and post-processing functions to convert electrical signals into digital words and send them on a data bus under the control of a host microprocessor. Finally, the SOC chipset contains PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) circuitry required to interface with external drives for actuators, motors, shutoff Valves etc. The SOC chipset can be powered from a Mil-Std-704F compliant power source or a conditioned DC power source. The chipset can be combined with other devices, such as memory, processor and A to D Converter to implement a high temperature capable Smart Node for localized management of sensors and actuators as a part of a distributed architecture or used as a scalable building block in a more complex function such as a FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control). It is believed that the versatility of the SOC chipset makes it a well suited, affordable, scalable building block for not only aerospace controls but also for diverse applications such as down-hole drilling, energy exploration, wind farms etc. where high temperature electronics and /or high level of miniaturization is required.